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The last thing I needed was to feel thisgoodaround a nameless stranger.
I sighed. “I don’t know, Chels. I’m sorry. I just want to go home.”
She considered me in silence for a minute.
“Let’s go, Ro. You know I’m here for you.”
I knew she was.
Chelsea was the only piece of safety, of familiarity I had left in my life.
With a new life just hours away from beginning, it felt okay to want to cherish that a little while longer.
As I drove back home, I couldn’t help fixating on the stranger and his smile.
Years ago, I’d etched the tattoo of a fern on my collar bone, because even with everything going on in my life at the time, I had a perpetual nostalgia for new beginnings.
Something told me I’d just landed on the brink of one.
2
Elijah
Imet this girl last night,Benji’s message read.She was beautiful... before she ran off and left me cold. Man, dating in this city sucks.
It was just a minute past seven. I sighed and set my phone aside, turning my attention to the chirping of yellow-billed cuckoos outside.
The morning sun streamed through the windows, casting a warm glow over the room.
I took a deep breath and sat up in bed, my eyes immediately drawn to the large windows that dominated the far wall.
Beyond the glass lay a world of green, with trees swaying in the gentle breeze and birds flitting among the branches.
The apartment was perched on top of a hill, which meant that I had an unobstructed view of the surrounding area.
The trees were a mix of evergreen and bare, with leaves of all colors rustling in the wind. It was like living in a postcard.
As I got out of bed, I padded over to the windows and gazed out at the scene before me.
I spotted a red-tailed hawk soaring gracefully over the treetops, its wingspan impressive against the clear blue sky.
A pair of bluejays darted about, their vibrant colors standing out against the greenery.
A smile came to my lips as I heard the sound of feet scurrying in the distance. A minute later, my bedroom door burst open.
The love of my life ran across the room and straight into my open arms. I picked her up and planted a kiss on the tip of her little nose.
She scrunched her cherub-like face ferociously, an indication that she wanted more kisses.
I laughed. “D’you want more, darling?”
She nodded.
I kissed my little babe’s forehead, the tips of her long eyelashes, her blue eyes, and the little dimples on her cheeks.
She was the living, waking image of her mother. So precious, so tied to my soul.
My world would be utterly empty without her.
